Nail-plate-feeding machine



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

G. W. MoKIM.

NAIL PLATE FEEDING MACHINE. No. 324,572. Patented Aug. 18, 1885.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

} G. W. MOKIM. NAIL PLATE FEEDING MACHINE. No. 324,572. Patented Aug. 18, 1885.

g? M Q k ?mm 5 ji iii iil llllllllli WITNESSES: INVENTOR.

N. PETERS, Phnw-Lithogmphcr. Waihinglnn. 13.0. I I

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

G. W. MGKIM. NAIL PLATE FEEDING MACHINE.

No. 324,572. Patented Aug. 18, 1885.

Emu NEE f INVEN OR N. PETERS Fholo-Lilhogmgher. Washington ac.

iiiairnn STATES PA'rENr -Erica.

GEoRGE W. MOKIM, OF MARTINS FERRY, OHIO.

NAIL-PLATE-FEE DI NG MACHINE.

EBFECIFIQATIQN forming part of Letters Patent No. 324,572, dated August 18, 1885.

Application filed December 4, 1884. (No model.)

citizen of the United States, residing at Martins Ferry, in the county of Belmont and State of Ohio, have made certain Improve ments in Nail-Plate-Feeding Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, which will enable'othcrs skilled in the art to make and use my invention.

My invention consists of an improved automatic nail-plate feeder for attachment to ordinary nail-cutting machines, the move ments of the feeder being obtained by means of a common adjustable eccentric mounted on the power'shaft of the nail-cutting machine.

Figure 1 is a side view of the frame of a common nail-cutting machine with feeder, my improved nail-plate'feeding machine attached thereto. Fig. 2 is a top view of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail view of the eccentric and the large cog-wheel of the nail-cutting machine detached. Fig. 4 is a top view of thefeed-rod and mechanism for operating the same. Fig. 5 is a vertical cross-section on line a a, Fig. 4, on an enlarged scale. Fig. 6 is a detached side view of the barrel and its pinion, showing the feeder of the machine holding the nailplate in the nozzle-crank, and Figs. 7 and 8 are sectional detail views of the joints for the rocking-lever and the pitmen and the crankpins.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

My invention has relation to machines for feeding nail-plates in nail-machines, and it consists in the improved construction and combination ofparts of such a machine, which is an improvement on the machine for which application for Letters Patent was made on the 10th day of May, 1884, Serial No. 131,065, as hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, the frame A represents part of a common nail-cutting machine which may be of any suitable construction. This frame is here shown to enable me to represent my means of attaching the feeder. The power-Wheel Qgives motion to the pinion L on the power-shaft I.

B is the anvil and G is the adjustable chair or bracket upon which the upright arm D is fulcrumed.

D D indicate the bearings in which the plate'holding barrel E turns, which barrel is provided at its middle with a number of spiral cogs or flanges, F, which are engaged by the pinion G, which is provided at over one-half of its periphery with spiral cogs H of the same pitch as the flanges uponthe barrel, the remaining portion of the periphery of the pinion being smooth.

The aforesaid parts, with the exception of i the pinion, are of substantially the same construction as the corresponding parts of the machine described in the aforesaid applicltion, the pinion in the former case being provided with spiral cogs over its entire periphery, while in this mechanism, as before described, the cogs only extend over a portion of the periphery, the motion of the pinion in this case being rotary reciprocating, while in the former case the motion was rotary.

A shaft, I, is journaled in bearings J upon the frame of the machine, and carries the adjustable eccentric K, which is of the same construction as in the aforementioned mechanism, and a pinion, L, is secured upon the shaft, the said shaft being the drive-shaft of the mechanism.

A connecting-rod, M, is articulated to the eccentric, and has at its free end two downwardly-projecting lugs, N N, between which a pin, 0, projecting laterally from an :arm, P, finds its bearing, the said lugs or lips straddling the pin.

The arm 1? projects upward from the upright arm'D, secured rigidly to the same, and the eccentric imparts reciprocating motion to the connecting-rod which rocks the arm 1? D, bringing the plate-holding barrel toward and from the anvil alternately in the same manner as in the former device.

. The pinion L upon the drive-shaft meshes with acog-wheel, Q, secured upon a stubshaft, R, which turns in a bearing, S, formed crank, T, the pin U of which is formed with a spherical bearing portion, .V.

A pitman, WV, is articulated to the crankpin, and its head X. is usually formed with a by the frame, and the said stub-shaft has a tion of the box to the head and to adjust the said sliding portion as the box or bearing becomes worn, a screw-bolt, F, or set-screw passing through a threaded perforation, G, in a projecting lip, H, upon the head serving to push the sliding portion upward, bearing with its end against the lower end of the sliding shank.

The lower end of the head is formed with a screw-threaded socket, 1, into which the upper threaded end J of the pitman fits, having a lock-nut, K, bearing'against the lower end of the socket.

Thelower end ofthe pitman is usually formed with a ball, L, fitting in a correspondinglyshaped socket, M, at one end of a lever, N, which is fulcrumed at the lower portion of the frame at O. The other end of the lever N is formed with a spherical socket, P, in which fits a ball, Q, upon the lower end of a pitman, R,and the said socketed end of the lever is concentric with the fulcrum of the upright arm D when the lever is in its horizontal position, the object of which will be more fully explained hereinafter.

The upper end of the pitman R is secured in a manner similar to the other pitman in a pitman-head, S, of a construction similar to the formerly-described pitman-head, and the said pitman-head is attached to a crank-pin T, projecting laterally from the end of a crank, U,which is secured upon the end of the rockshaft V, upon which the spirally-cogged pinion G is secured, the said shaftbeing journaled to rock in bearings WV at the upper end of the upright arm D.

A bracket, 4 projects from the upright arm D similarto the bracket projecting from the upright arm described in my former application, and the outer end of this-bracket is provided with an upright rigid jaw, Y, which forms vertical bearings for a short vertical shaft, Z, the said bearings A being formed in the upperand lower ends of an open recess, B in the lower portion of the jaw.

The upper end of the vertical shaft is provided with a small pinion, O and the lower end of the shaft is provided outside of the lower bearing with a removable ratchet-wheel, D which may be removed, if desired, and a wheel with a larger or smaller number of smaller or larger ratchet-teeth substituted, or the ratchet-wheel may be entirely removed and a disk substituted, against the edge of which the actuating sliding rod, which will later on be described, may act with its end moving the disk by friction.

The upper portion of the rigid jaw is cut away at E for the purpose of exposing a portion of the periphery of the small pinion C", and a movable jaw, F 'is pivoted near its lower endin the lower portion of the recess in the rigid jaw upon a transverse pin, G, bearing with the inner side of its lower end against a block, H of rubber or similar yielding and elastic material, or against any other suitable spring, the said lower end of the pivoted jaw being provided with a set-screw, I bearing with its inner end against the rubber spring, andthus serving to adjust the amount of yield desired for the pivoted jaw. The facing sides of the rigid end of the pivoted jaws are cut out slightly rounded, as shown at J and form a bearing for the cylindrical rack-bar K which feeds the plate within the barrel.

The end of the bar or rod nearest to the plate-holding barrel is provided with the plate-clamping jaws or nippers L, and the other end of the rod is formed with a number of equidistant gooves, M forming a cylindrical rack, which meshes with the pinion at the upper end of the vertical shaft Z, and at the same time turns in the bearing formed by the cut-out sides of the jaws, beingthus capable of following the rotary reciprocating motion of the plate-holding barrel at the same time, as it may be fed forward by the pinion when the vertical shaft isrevolved.

The bracket X is provided with longitudinal bearings N upon its side, in which bearings a rod, 0, slides, the bearing nearest to the rigidjaw having an aperture wider than the rod,which is thus allowed a certain amount of lateral play, while a spring, P, is secured in the aperture, bearing against the rod and forcing it in toward the bracket.

The rear end of the rod or the end nearest to the rigid jaw is formed in the shape of a pawl, as shown at Q, and engages the ratchet wheel upon the vertical shaft, and the forward end of the rod is provided at bothsides of the bearing at that end with two adjustable collars, R, which limit the play of the rod.

An upright post, S having a flanged foot, T is secured by means of a bolt or bolts, U, passing through a slot, V in the said foot into the base of the bracket or chair 0. The forward end of the sliding rod 0 will strike the upper end of this post at each forward stroke of the rocking arm D, which will push the sliding rod rearward, causingit to engage the teeth of the ratchet-wheel, which will be turned a portion of a revolution corresponding to the length of the stroke of the sliding rod.

A spiral spring, W is wrapped around the sliding rod and bears against the forward collar and against the bottom of a recess, X in the forward bearing, and this spring will serve to force the sliding rod forward after it has been pushed rearward by the post, the rear ICO eats-7a a Ward bearing allowing the pawl-shaped end of the rod to slip over the teeth of the ratchet-wheel, while the spring in the said hearing will force the said pawlshaped end. against the ratchet-wheel.

The rear end of the cylindrical rack-bar is provided with an adjustable collar, Y which limits the forward travel of the said rack'bar,

. and consequently of the nail-plate, the length of the rack-bar being adjusted according to the length of the nail-plates.

The large cog-wheel Q is of twice the diameter of the pinion upon the drive-shaft, and it will thus be seen that the upright arm D and the plate-holding barrel will be tilted forward twice to the anvil, while the rock. shaft and spirally-cogged pinion are rocked once forward and back, the barrel requiring but onehalf turn for each time that the arm and barrel are tilted forward to the anvil. The rear end of the rocking lever N will be concentric with the fulcrum of the rocking arm D when the lever isin its horizontal position, which occurs twice for every revolution of the large cog-wheel and once for every revolution ofthe pinion, and consequently for every rock of the upright arm D, the said arm being in the act of being tilted at the moment when the said rear end of the lever and con sequently pivotal point of the rock-shaft operating pitman is concentric with the fulcrum of the arm D,whereby a greater uniformity of motion as well as less wrenching of parts of the mechanism is accomplished.

It will be seen that by decreasing the size of the teeth of the ratchet-wheel upon the feed ingshaft Z, and decreasing thelength of stroke of the sliding rod by adjusting the collars and by adjusting the upright post further forward, the number of teeth of the ratchet-wheel increasing as their size decreases, the thickness of the nail-blanks fed will be decreased, and vice versa, and it will also be seen that by having the pivoted jaw of the bearing for the feeding rack bar provided with yielding spring the said jaw will be capable of allowing the feeding rack-bar to be pushed back if any accident should happen to the machine, as well as the jaw will also enable the rackbar to center itself, if any irregularities should be in the plate-holding barrel.

The object of the ball-and-socket joints for the pitmen and lever and pitmen and crankpins will be obvious, as the several parts of the feeding mechanism, as well as the entire mechanism, are adjustable, the said joints allowing lateral adjustment of parts of the ma chine without necessitating any adjustment of the joints.

The power-wheel Q.,being set in motion,operates the wheel L, shaft I, and eccentric K, and in connection with rod M rocks the arm D back and forth. At the same time, by means of crank-arm V, connecting-rod \V, pivoted double lever N, and connecting-rod B, motion is given to the crank-arm U, pinion V, and barrel E turning the latte] onehalf of a revolution by the combined action of the baek-andforth motion of said rocking arm, and thus presenting the nail-plate to the anvil in proper position for the cutter. The feed-action will be understood by the description of the devices in foregoing pages.

I reserve to myself the right of a future application for Letters Patent for the improved ball-and-socket joint between the pitman and the crank-pin. and Ialso reserve to myself the right to modify the several parts of my invention to suit different requirements without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention,I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States- 1. lhe.combination, in a nail-platc-cutting mechanism, of a drive-shaft having an eccentric,an oscillating arm carrying the plate-holding barrel, a connectingrod articulated to the eccentric and to the oscillating arm, a pinion secured upon the drive-shaft, a cog wheel meshing with the pinion being of twice the diameter of the pinion, and having a crank and pin, a rocking lever, a pitman connecting the crank and the lever, a rock-shaft impart ing rotary reciprocating motion to the plateholding barrel E, having spiral cogs or flanges F, engaging with pinion G, which is provided with spiral cogs H, and having a crank at its I end, and a connecting-rod articulated to the crank and to the other end of the rocking 1ever, the pivotal point of the pitman and lever being concentric with the fulcrum of the oscillating barrel-carrying arm when the lever is in its horizontal position, as and for the purpose shown and set forth.

2. In a nail-plate-feeding mechanism, the combination, with an oscillating arm carrying the plateholding barrel for rotary reciprocating the said barrel E, having spiral cogs or flanges F, engaging with pinion G, which is provided with spiral cogs H, of a rocking lever having means for turning the plate-holding barrel and rocking up and down once for every two oscillations of the arm, and having its end concentric with the fulcrum of the oscillating arm when thelever is in its horizontal position, as and for the purpose shown and set forth.

3. In a nail-plate-feeding machine, the combination of an oscillating arm carrying the rotary reciprocating plate-holding barrel, and provided with a rearwardly-extending bracket having a yielding cylindrical bearing, a cylindrical rack bar, provided with the plateclamping nippers, and sliding and turning in the cylindrical bearing, a shaft j ournaled transversely in the side of the bearing, and having a pinion at its upper end meshing with the cylindrical rack-bar, and means for revolving the said shaft a portion of a revolution at each stroke of the oscillating arm, as and'for the purpose shown and set forth.

4. In a nail-plate-feeding machine, the combination of an oscillating arm carrying the plate-holding barrel, a plate-feeding rack-bar sliding in bearings upon the said arm, a shaft having a pinion meshing with the rack-bar and provided with a ratchet-wheel at its lower end, a bar sliding in bearings upon the arm and engaging the ratchet-wheel with one end. and

an upright post secured upon the base of the machine, having its end projecting into the latter portion of the forward stroke of the sliding-rod with the arm, as and for the purpose shown and set forth.

5. In a nail-plate-feeding machine, the combination of a revolving barrel, a plate feeding cylindrical rack-bar, a bearing for the said rack-bar, a shaft having a pinion engaging the said rackbar, and having a ratchet-wheel, a sliding rod engaging the ratchet-wheel with one end, and having a spring, throwing it back from the wheel, and means, substantially as described, for pushing the said sliding rod against the teeth of the ratchet-wheel, as and for the purpose shown and set forth.

6. The combination of the ratchet-Wheel, the sliding rod having the spring forcing it forward, the bearing having a perforation wider than the rod and having a spring forcing the end of the rod against the ratchet-wheel, and means for forcing the rod rearward at each stroke of the plate-carrying arm, as and for the purpose shown and set forth.

7. The combination of the shaft having the feeding-pinion and the detachable ratchet wheel, the sliding rod having the pawl-shaped end, the bearing having the aperture wider than the rod, and having the spring forcing the end of the rod against the ratchet-wheel, the bearing having the recess in one end, the adjustable collars secured upon the rod at both ends of the bearings, the spiral spring fitting around the rod in the recess in the bearing, bearing against the rearmost of the collars, and the adjustable post, as and for the purpose shown and set forth.

8. The combination, in a nail-plate-feeding machine, of a drive-shaft having an eccentric, an oscillating arm carrying the plate-holding barrel, a connecting-rod connecting the eccentric and the arm, a rocking lever, means for rocking said lever once for every two revolutions of the driveshaft, a rock-shaft having a crank at one end for rotary reciprocating the plate-holding barrel E, having spiral cogs or flanges F, engaging with pinion G, which is provided with spiral cogs H. and a pitman pivoted to the crank and to the end of the rockinglever, as and for the purpose shown and set forth.

GEORGE WV. MGKIM. 

